Abbie Betinis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abbie Betinis
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| Background information | |
| Born | January 21, 1980 Stevens Point, Wisconsin |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Years active | 2001 – present |
Abbie Betinis (born January 21, 1980) is a talented American composer. She writes music for many different groups of musicians. She is especially famous for her choral music, which is music sung by a choir. She also creates other vocal works.
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Early Life and Learning
Abbie Betinis was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She started learning piano using the Suzuki method at age four. This method helps young children learn music by listening and repeating. She also trained her ear to recognize musical sounds.
Abbie was a top student in high school. She went to St. Olaf College with a scholarship for piano. During her second year, she faced a serious health challenge. She was diagnosed with a type of cancer called Hodgkin's lymphoma. She had to go home for treatment.
When she returned to college, Abbie decided to study music composition. This means learning how to create music. She also studied linguistics, which is the study of language. She graduated in 2001. Later, she earned a master's degree in music composition from the University of Minnesota. She also studied music in Paris, France.
Abbie Betinis's Music Career
People describe Abbie Betinis's music in many positive ways. The New York Times called it "inventive" and "richly melodic." The Boston Globe said her music was "bold" and "cathartic." Her music is known for being complex but also very appealing.
Abbie has written over sixty pieces of music for different groups. These include the American Choral Directors Association and the American Suzuki Foundation. She has also worked with famous groups like Cantus and The Rose Ensemble.
She has become one of the most important voices in American choral music. Abbie chooses meaningful words for her songs. She sets them to music in a unique and easy-to-understand way. She worked with The Rose Ensemble and The Singers for many years. This helped her learn how to write for voices. She even uses unusual sounds like yodeling and whistling in her music.
Abbie Betinis's music is published by several companies. These include Augsburg Fortress and G. Schirmer. In 2006, she started her own company, Abbie Betinis Music Co.. This company helps publish and share her sheet music around the world.
Abbie is related to Alfred Burt, a famous composer of Christmas carols. She is the third generation in her family to write and send a new carol each year. She shares these carols with family and friends as part of her Christmas card. Since 2001, her new carols have been played on Minnesota Public Radio.
What Influences Her Music
Abbie Betinis has overcome cancer three times. She says that these experiences have greatly influenced her music. They have helped shape the themes and feelings in her compositions.
Awards and Recognition
Abbie Betinis has received many awards for her work. She was named a McKnight Artist Fellow twice, in 2009 and 2015. This award recognizes talented artists. She has also received grants from groups like the American Composers Forum.
Her song cycle Nattsanger (Nightsongs) won an honorable mention. This was from the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. In 2009, she was featured in a TV show called "Never Stop Singing." This show looked at choral music in Minnesota.
Her Life Today
Abbie Betinis lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She is the Composer-in-Residence at The Schubert Club. This means she is the main composer for that organization. She also teaches music composition at Concordia University.
Discography
Abbie Betinis's music has been featured on many albums. Here are some examples:
- "Bar xizam (Upward I Rise)" — on Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) 2014.
- "Cedit, Hyems (Be Gone, Winter!)" — on Eternal Light.
- "Chant for Great Compassion" — on No Whining, No Flowers.
- "Clan of the Lichens, The" — on If this world could stop.
- "From Behind the Caravan: Songs of Hâfez" — on Inspirata.
- "In the Bleak Midwinter" — on Candlelight Carols: Music for Chorus and Harp.
- "Jerusalem Luminosa" — on Transcendent Voices.
- "Long Time Trav'ling" — on At the River.
- "Nattsanger (Nightsongs)" — on Bright Angel: American Works for Clarinet and Piano.
- "Songs of Smaller Creatures" — on Songs of Smaller Creatures and Other American Choral Works.
- "To the Evening Star" — on Into the Night: Contemporary Choral Music.
